Chi McBride Promoted to Series Regular on Hawaii Five-0

Chi McBride has been promoted to a series regular on the CBS series, TVGuide.com has learned. The Boston Public and Pushing Daisies alum made his first appearance as Grover (a character who also appeared in the original series) in the Season 4 premiere this fall. Grover recently moved with his family from Chicago to Oahu and now heads the S.W.A.T. unit on the island.

"After his first guest spot, we knew we had something special here with Chi playing Captain Lou Grover," showrunner Peter Lenkov said in a statement. "He just fit seamlessly into the fabric of Hawaii Five-0 and viewers are enjoying the spirited, if sometimes antagonistic, interaction between him and McGarrett. We are so thrilled to welcome Chi into our Ohana."

Added McBride: "I know this sounds corny but the only thing I ever wanted in my career was to be on CBS, the home of my idol Jackie Gleason. ... CBS graciously invited me to be a member of the cast of Hawaii Five-0 and it's been wonderful. The cast, crew and production have been so welcoming to me, and so my love affair with CBS continues."

Hawaii Five-0 airs Fridays at 9/8c on CBS. Are you looking forward to seeing more of Grover?